Mastic Beach, NY - November 10th, 2014 - In honor of Veterans Day, kindergarten- and first-grade students at Tangier Smith Elementary School in the William Floyd School District, held their annual Veterans Day concert and had the opportunity to express their gratitude to veterans for their service through the singing of songs and with the presentation of thank you cards.
This annual event, organized each year by kindergarten teacher Wendy Gross, is filled with students singing patriotic songs such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “I Pledge Allegiance,” “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and more. In attendance were current and former service members from the American Legion Arthur H. Clune Post 1533 (Mastic Beach), the 106th Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard, as well as U.S. Army veteran and William Floyd alumnus Congressman-elect Lee Zeldin. New York State Assemblyman Ed Hennessey (also a William Floyd alumnus) and Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning were also in attendance to thank our community’s veterans.
Additionally, the William Floyd School District held a Veterans Day ceremony at the Armed Forces Memorial in front of William Floyd High School. The NJROTC presented the colors, there were student vocal performances (William Floyd High School and Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School), as well as student speakers, Jen McDermott, President, WFHS Student Government, and Sebastian Santiago, a fifth grader at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School.
Additionally, Robert Vecchio, President of the William Floyd Board of Education, after thanking our nation’s veterans for their service, announced that the first Long Island chapter of the “Our Community Salutes” program will begin right here within the William Floyd community. “Our Community Salutes” is a national non-profit designed to recognize and honor graduating high school students and their families who have made commitments to enlist in the armed services after graduation.
Pictured Right: Students sang patriotic songs and waved American flags at the Tangier Smith Elementary School concert.
Pictured Below: The William Floyd NJROTC presents the colors to start the William Floyd Veterans Day ceremony.
